


Never

by IntoTheGallifray



Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntoTheGallifray/pseuds/IntoTheGallifray
Summary: Wherein Charles reveals a secret hobby to Sam...
Relationships: Charles Jones/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	Never

Sam sat quietly in the passenger seat while Charles drove, nervously chewing her fingernail. She watched as countryside landscape flashed past the window, thinking back to her earlier conversation with the blond man beside her.

_"Samara, after work today, I'd like to show you something if you’re free_."

_"Show me what?" she'd asked curiously._

_"It's a surprise, rather a hobby of mine that I would like to share with you."_

_"O-okay," she’d smiled softly._

The corner of her mouth upturned slightly when recalling the memory, and thinking on the fact that Charles was letting her in more and more. He claimed to still stand by not wanting to be in a relationship, but his actions often belied his words, and she was happier for it.

"Here we are," Charles commented, pulling Sam from her thoughts as he turned into a long lane.

She looked up and her eyes widened upon seeing a large sign that read 'Evergreen Stables'.

"H-horses?" she gasped, inwardly a mixture of nerves, slight fear, and excitement. She thought horses were beautiful creatures, but hadn't really ever been near one, so almost equally found them terrifying.

"Over time, riding has become a way for me to relieve stress," Charles stated as he pulled the car up to park in front of a small cabin, "There is something to be said about galloping through the trees with nary a worry to weigh one down."

"That _does_ sound pretty exhilarating," she exhaled, reaching down to ensure her inhaler was in her bag.

Charles exited the car, walking around to her side to open her door, and offered her his hand, "Would you care to ride with me?"

Sam blushed and nodded once, swallowing her apprehension, and took his hand as she stepped out of the car. He took her into the cabin where a cheery receptionist had Sam sign a waiver, and got her a riding helmet.

"I see Mr. Jones is with you, so you won't need the introductory course," she smiled at them.

"You come here that often?" Sam asked, turning to look at Charles.

"I used to ride a lot in Wales," he said softly, a slight red tingeing his cheeks, "But relocating to America meant I had to step back from it for a bit while I sorted my life out, and I found I quite missed it. Even now, I don't ride as much as I did then, but at this time, it is enough."

She took his hand gently, interlacing her fingers lightly with his, dark brown irises meeting ocean blues as she said, "Then I would love to learn from you."

His returning grin held a warmth she felt to her toes as he squeezed her hand lightly and led her to where the horses were. They walked past a few stalls housing the biggest horses Sam was certain she'd ever seen, until stopping in front of one that held a beautiful chocolate-coloured mare. Charles opened the stall door and gestured for Sam to enter first, noting how she hugged the wall slightly.

"Are you alright, Samara?" he asked gently, closing the gate behind him.

"Y-yes, I've just...never seen a horse up close before," her voice shook slightly, though her eyes sparked with wonder.

"She's very gentle," Charles assured her, lightly taking her hand and tugging her to stand in front of the horse. He then placed Sam's hand on her muzzle, letting the brunette grow accustomed to the creature before them.

"It's so soft, like velvet," she noted, slowly stroking up along the mare's forehead.

The horse let out a pleased huff and Charles couldn't help but smile.

"What's her name?" inquired Sam, wide eyes looking up at him.

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassingly, and answered, "Her name is Ceffyl."

"Is that Welsh?" asked Sam.

"Yes," he sighed, "It means 'horse.'"

"....."

"I carried the name over from my childhood horse," he said stiffly, face bright red.

"That's..." she trailed off for a moment, and Charles prepared himself for her teasing, surprised instead when she continued with, "Very fitting for you actually, I would love to hear more about your childhood."

"I…I would like that," he stammered, then "But perhaps another time, today we're here to ride."

"N-not by myself?" she gulped, hand reaching for her inhaler.

"I think not," he replied, having figured she wouldn't be ready, "Today, you will ride with me."

Sam still found she needed her inhaler, especially with her imagination suddenly running wild, and took a puff, then a second, feeling her breathing regulate.

"I-I can do that," she exhaled, feeling her anxiety ease slightly.

She watched as Charles saddled Ceffyl, reins in place, and then he led her out of the stall, Sam following, as they walked a bit toward a forest path just outside. Sam found herself completely enamoured with the way Charles spoke to his horse, encouraging her, gently and lovingly. She hoped she could one day be on the receiving end of the gaze he was giving Ceffyl - completely unaware that she already had been, several times. They came to a stop and Charles held his hand out to Samara, smiling as he asked, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, taking his hand and approaching Ceffyl.

Charles took her through the steps for mounting and, with a little help, she was soon sat astride the mare, hands gripping her silky black mane. With an obvious ease, Charles mounted directly behind Samara, pulling her against him to secure them both. The feeling of his firm chest at her back, the movements of his breathing guiding her own, Samara had never felt more relaxed, even atop a giant four-legged speed machine. Charles leaned forward, his arms encasing her as he gripped the reins, and whispered, "Shall we?"

Samara nodded and they were off at a relatively slow pace, trotting along the path. At first, she had closed both eyes instinctively, but slowly opened one, then the other as she got used to the motions. She took in the wooded scene around her, marvelling at how the sunlight shone in radiant beams through the tree canopy.

"So beautiful," she murmured, her muscles going slightly less rigid.

"Yes," agreed Charles, though his eyes were most certainly not on the scenery around them. Then he turned his head, his lips brushing the shell of Sam's ear as he asked, "Would you like to go faster?"

She swallowed hard, glad he couldn't see how red her face was, and whispered, "Yes."

He transferred the reins to his right hand, his left arm encircling Sam's waist and pulling her flush against him.

"Hold on," he murmured, waiting for Sam to grab hold of the pommel, and suddenly they were off, galloping along the path.

Sam watched, heart pounding, as trees and bushes sped past them in a blur. She thought it would have terrified her a lot more than it did; perhaps it was the proximity of a certain Welshman that kept her fears at bay. In what felt like seconds, they were slowing down, approaching a small clearing which held a pond, deer grazing by its border. Charles brought them a little ways in, then hopped down, extending a hand up to Sam. She took it and started dismounting, but her foot caught slightly in the stirrup and she lost her balance. Charles quickly adjusted his position and caught her neatly as she fell, landing cradled in his arms.

"I-I thought I was..." she trailed off, panicked look subsiding as she realized she hadn't hit the ground.

"I will always catch you, Samara," his voice was low, edging on an emotion she couldn't quite identify, but felt in return all the same.

"I don't doubt it," she replied, then feeling a burst of courage, likely made stronger by the reflection of sunlight in his clear blue eyes, how safe she felt in his arms, and how she felt when she was with him, Sam leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. It surprised him momentarily, but he was quick to return the embrace, deepening it slightly as her hand came up to slide into the hair at the back of his head, ruffling it. She broke the connection, pressing her forehead to his as she truly looked at him, into him, and smiled. Charles lowered her feet to the ground, and slid his hands up along her sides until they rested on her back, holding her to him.

"I think I need to amend my previous statement," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, her nose, and then each cheek.

"Oh?" she asked, fingers running through his soft tresses.

"I won't need to catch you Samara," he inhaled deeply, knowing he was laying a lot on the line, opening himself to something he had thus far adamantly refused to acknowledge, but he found he no longer could hold back from her, "Because I’m never going to let you go."

She beamed and he pulled her in for another kiss, Ceffyl whinnying as a warm breeze blew through the trees around them. It was a picturesque moment in time...and it was all theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> One of my many sappy guesses at what Charles' secret hobby might be...hope you enjoy!


End file.
